Inventory and management of the Konavle dry stone heritage

Geografski položaj Konavala je pogodovao razvoju poljoprivrede duž čitavog područja; od obalnog pojasa, preko krškog polja, do plodnih vrtača u brdskom predjelu. Poljoprivreda je sa sobom vukla brojne oblike suhozidne gradnje, od kojih su zajzastupljenije suhozidne terase, unutar kojih se razlikuju brojni tipovi. Uslijed napuštanja poljoprivrede kao primarne djelatnosti u Konavlima i sve većeg zaraštanja poljoprivrednih krajobraza, suhozidne strukture ostaju skrivene pod gustim sklopom vegetacije. Stoga se javila potreba za inventarizacijom i registriranjem suhozidnih oblika u Konavlima, a kako bi isto bilo temelj za promišljanje novih modela planiranja i upravljanja. Terenskim radom su istražena sva konavoska sela, njih 32. Na temelju podjele prema adminstrativnim granicama sela, zabilježeni su reprezentativni suhozidni oblici. Sela su opisivana putem terenskih obrazaca, prema zadanim kriterijima koji se odnose na tipove naselja, poljoprivredne površine, suhozidne strukture i vizualnu procjenu karaktera krajobraza. Kroz intervjue sa lokalnim ispitanicima istražene su tehnike suhozidne gradnje. Istražene su inozemne metode upravljanja ruralnim krajobrazima, te analizirani sektorski pristupi upravljanja i zaštite krajobraza u Hrvatskoj. Utvrđena je nedefiniranost modela upravljanja ruralnim krajobrazima i suhozidima, pa su stoga predložene mjere upravljanja na državnoj i prijedlozi unapređenja suhozidne baštine na lokalnoj razini.The very geographical placement of the Konavle region has been extremely convenient for the agricultural growth alongside its whole territory; from the seaside and karst fields all the way to the fertile karst sinkholes on the hillside. Agriculture has incited the development of numerous dry stone forms.The most common form that can be found are the dry stone wall terraces which also develop many shapes of their own. Due to abandoning the agriculture as a core activity in Konavle and the ever increasing process of succession in the agricultural landscape, dry stone wall structures remain hidden under a vast cover of vegetation. As a result of all previous said, dry stone forms and structures of Konavle had been in dire need of making its own register and inventory that could serve as a base for creating and suggesting new planning and management models. All of 32 Konavle villages had been explored, by their administrative boundaries. The villages have been described using special field forms that were prepared by the set criteria that pertain to the types of the settlements, agricultural acreage, dry stone structures and visual evaluation of the landscape character. Different techniques of dry stone constructing have been observed and studied by interviewing the local masters. International methods of rural landscape managment have been examined and the analysis of the sectoral approaches in landscape management and conservation in Croatia has been made. It has been found that the rural landscape and dry stone wall managment methods are not sufficiently defined so new managment methods on state level and suggestions of enhancing dry stone heritage on local level have been proposed